NBA wagering returns to PRO-LINE tickets this fall
Posted September 16, 2016 9:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
When the Toronto Raptors tip off their 2016 schedule on November 26th, basketball fans in the city will have the chance to once again legally bet on their games.
The Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation announced Friday that NBA games will be back on PRO-LINE after a 21-year absence.
“Ontario loves basketball, and coming off NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto and the Raptors’ most successful season in franchise history, the popularity of the NBA in Canada is at an all-time high,” said Greg McKenzie, OLG’s Chief Operating Officer in a statement on Friday.
“OLG is thrilled to add the NBA to PRO-LINE for our customers. With the addition of the NBA, Ontario sports fans will now have even more choices for a better gaming experience.”
OLG was forced to suspend wagering on NBA games as a precursor to Toronto being granted an NBA expansion franchise in 1995. The same issue forced the British Columbia Lottery Corporation to take NBA games off its betting tickets when the Vancouver Grizzlies joined the league.
The BCLC began accepting bets on NBA games after the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis in 2001.
The NBA has softened its stance on gambling in recent years. NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed his support for legalized gambling in a New York Times opinion piece back in 2014, charting a vastly different direction than previous commissioner David Stern. The league has also signed a sponsorship agreement with FanDuel, a daily sports fantasy website.
